Your Favorite ‘Hocus Pocus’ Sanderson Sister Says A Lot About You

Bette Midler sassed the hell out of Disney with this Hocus Pocus 2 tweet.

We’re partial to the Sanderson Sisters, but then again, Hocus Pocus is one of the best Halloween movies ever. If you don’t know the movie (shame on you), the Winnifred sisters are a coven of witches who are brought back from the dead when a virgin lights the Black Flame Candle. It’s that time of year again at Disney World when little boys and ghouls can experience Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista.

The cult classic’s cast appeared on ABC News to discuss the movie that has since entered the Halloween movie hall of fame and all of them agreed that none of them expected it to be the hit it has ultimately become. “I don’t think any of us had any idea of the magnitude of how popular it would be ’til this day,” actress Vinessa Shaw, who played Allison AKA the love interest of Max Dennison (Omri Katz). “It just goes to show that when you are young you watch things over and over again and it gets in your head, and just sticks.” Now 39, Shaw was 16 when she filmed the Disney hit alongside Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy, who she said were incredibly friendly; they would even look out for the young actress to make sure she felt OK. “I’d talk with Sarah Jessica Parker and she’d ask me if I really loved what I did as an actress,” Shaw recalled. “She’d say ‘It’s a wonderful job if you love it.’ So, she was just very sweet and curious and made me feel really comfortable.” At the end of the day, Shaw felt that she and her co-stars had become a tight-knit group with whom she would create fond memories. “Oh my gosh, we loved each other,” she said. “Thora [Birch] and I would sing a million songs and run around and be crazy on the Disney lot. This special ticketed event, which takes place on select nights each fall at Walt Disney World Resort, features trick or treating for kids and adults, dance parties, a parade starring Disney heroes and villains alike, and a spectacular animation and fireworks show at Cinderella Castle. Tim Allen’s show Home Improvement was filming, so the kids of and Home Improvement were on the lot and high-fiving each other.” Birch, who has since starred in films such as American Beauty and Now and Then, said that the most fun she has ever had on set was while filming but added there was one minor problem: the cat, Binx. “For me, I had an issue whenever the cat came up,” she admitted, laughing. “There were a number of live cats, animatronic cats—the thing with the cat was a toss-up.

You never knew what would happen.” Doug Jones, who held the role of Billy the wacky zombie, was older than most during filming. “I felt like the goofy uncle,” Jones admitted. “Like the weird Uncle that comes to a family reunion with a hand zapper—I was that guy.” Despite his age gap, he still can’t believe how much of a classic the Kenny Ortega-directed movie has become. “It’s become the Wizard of Oz for Halloween,” Jones added. “I had no idea that we’d have kids outside of our original audience becoming fans in 2015, but it has been such a sweet blessing.” This year, guests are also treated to the special live show, the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular featuring the mischievous Sanderson Sisters from the classic movie Hocus Pocus. The festivities begin at 7 p.m. and don’t end until the witching hour at midnight — so there’s plenty of time to wander around the massive Magic Kingdom grounds collecting candy. For my family, one big highlight was Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade, when live-action versions of characters from Alice — from Alice in Wonderland — to Snow White’s Evil Queen to Sleepy Hollow’s diabolical Headless Horseman ride past in fantastic floats and interact with the captive audience.

Another jaw-dropping attraction is Celebrate the Magic, which turns the Cinderella Castle into a spectacular canvas of colour and artwork depicting classic scenes from Disney films, followed by the amazing Happy Hallowishes fireworks finale. — During the party, FastPass is not available for rides and attractions. (FastPass is Disney’s ride reservation system, which minimizes wait times by allowing guests to reserve times for popular rides. The free service is available to all park guests during normal operating hours.) — Treat bags are given out at the front gates, perfect for collecting the free chocolates and candies handed out at select locations.